Metal Gear Solid: Marvel Crisis
by Iraesmarter
Summary: Liquid Snake kidnaps Tony Stark during the Shadow Moses Uprising with help from some of the world's deadliest mercenaries. Solid Snake is called out of retirement by Roy Campbell and SHIELD, to work alongside Wolverine in order to stop his brother and save the world.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters from the Marvel and Metal Gear Solid universes; they belong to Marvel Comics, Stan Lee, Konami Studios and Kojima Productions.

**Author Notes:** I had this idea for a long time, and the time feels about right to try writing it at last. This fic is about the Metal Gear Solid universe merging with some elements of Marvel Comics characters. In order to make things clear for you readers, I want to say that I'm basing the Marvel characters on their cinematic versions, rather than the comics'. That's because Marvel comics tend to be retconned all the time, and merging their timeline with Metal Gear would be a mess. Aside from that, some of the more outlandish characters of Marvel won't be here at all, such as Galactus or some of the omega mutants. I'm sorry if that bothers you, but I want to keep this fic down to earth, which means the characters appearing here will be more human, instead of gods and such.

That aside, expect both universes to change a lot, and yet I'll try to keep their essence intact. Nick Fury, Iron Man, Wolverine, Black Widow and many other Marvel characters could be merged with Metal Gear with ease, and that's precisely what I'm trying to achieve. I hope the idea interests you, and if it does, I hope you'll like the fic and leave a review.

This fic was cowritten with **Devil Boss**. I had the original idea for it, and he helped me a lot to develop it and even wrote segments of the action himself. I want to thank him dearly for that and recommend you to read his works, which are very good, well paced and thoughtful.

.

.

'Once you go beyond 65 north, you are beyond the reach of divine protection and human law. To survive in such surroundings, you have to be strong enough to not rely on God or anyone else.'

Rudyard Kipling

.

**Metal Gear Solid: Marvel Crisis**

.

The Ohio Class Submarine USS Discovery travelled deep within the Bering Sea, nearly invisible in the darkness and lost to any civilization. Cruising near 600 feet deep underwater, the submarine was undetectable, coming ever closer to its destination, Shadow Moses Island. A crew of 150 men manned the submarine, keeping it going, busying themselves with the vast number of tasks demanded for such a sensitive operation as the current one. They couldn't come closer than three miles of the island, for if they did, the state of the art sonar detection systems in the facility they were targeting would spot them.

And the retaliation could mean the destruction of entire cities, and an irreversible shift in the balance between the superpowers.

Inside the submarine, a lean, athletic man known only by his codename 'Solid Snake' sat in a Two-man SDV (Swimming Delivery Vehicle), already dressed in scuba gear and waiting for the order to be given and the mission to start. He felt slightly cold, the chill that comes from within, from dark thoughts and a sense of foreboding. Snake didn't want to fool himself: this was to be one of the toughest missions of his life. He recalled his house in Twin Lakes, the Iditarod sled races he would be missing, and pointlessly wondered why in hell he had accepted this assignment.

But he knew it was futile to think about that: his former Commander and for-now mission director, Roy Campbell, had been eloquent. The world was in peril this time.

_"The Nuclear Weapons Disposal Facility on Shadow Moses Island, in Alaska's Fox Archipelago, was attacked and captured by Next Generation Special Forces and Mercenaries, being led by members of FOXHOUND. They're demanding one billion dollars and that the government turn over the remains of Big Boss, and they say that if they're demands are not met within 24 hours, they'll launch a nuclear weapon."_

_"Do they really have the ability to launch a nuclear missile?"_

_"They say they do. They even gave us the serial number of the warhead they plan to use."_

_"Was it confirmed?"_

_"I'm afraid so..."_

Snake shook his head, disgusted. After the end of the Cold War, the black market was filled with weapons that could mean the end of entire countries. Even ICBMs could be obtained if one man had enough money and the right connections. But that wasn't the whole problem: it seemed the terrorists had managed to capture three VIPs who shouldn't have been on the island at all.

_"You'll have two mission objectives: first, you're to rescue DARPA Chief, Donald Anderson, the President of Arms Tech, Kenneth Baker, and the owner and CEO of Stark Industries, Anthony Stark. The three of them are being held as hostages."_

_"Those are some heavy duty hostages."_

_"Secondly, you're to investigate whether or not the terrorists have the ability to make a nuclear strike, and stop them if they do."_

_"Is the National Security Agency in on this?"_

_"Yes, and so are the DIA, the Defense Intelligence Agency, and the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division."_

_"SHIELD? I'm starting to get a bad feeling about this..."_

_"They haven't worked with us ever since Hawkeye aided you in your mission in Zanzibar Land. But they know FOXHOUND, and besides, some of the mercenaries the terrorists have hired are old enemies of SHIELD. Nick Fury is coordinating the mission from the Third Fleet; he's sent one of his operatives to work with you here."_

_"An operative? Someone is going with me?"_

_"Yes. A man that is no stranger to black ops, just like you."_

Snake's thoughts drifted to the man next to him, squeezed into the SDV just like he was. Of course, he knew him, by name and reputation alone. It was hard to belong to the intel community and not have heard of him. He had fought side by side with Big Boss himself in the seventies and eighties, and had helped FOXHOUND with a few missions in the past. Now, he and Snake would have to work side by side to stop them.

The SDV was launched. It was almost like a torpedo, only it didn't have any propulsion of its own. The whole vehicle was shaking violently, speeding towards its destination, the frozen and lost island of Shadow Moses. Snake and his companion were both holding on to whatever they could to keep themselves from getting hurt with the jolting. The mercenary wondered how much longer it would take to arrive, and to start the mission at last... The jolting subsided gradually, as the SDV came closer to its destination and the speed was reduced. They were now in dark, deep caves, surrounded by sub-zero water and dark rocks.

Campbell reminded the two operatives of their objectives, and repeated the key elements of intel regarding the terrorists: their army was comprised by the Next Generation Special Forces, or Genome Soldiers, with some men that were veterans of many wars and even old comrades of Big Boss, and some other that only had Virtual Training (VR) and no real battle experience. The terrorists had hired mercenaries from the whole world, some of them mutants: as far as NSA and SHIELD had been able to determine, the subjects known as Sabretooth, Lady Deathstrike and Agent Zero were among the terrorist ranks; there could be more of them that Snake and his teammate would have to face. And in charge of the whole bunch, the deadliest black ops unit in the world, now turned rogue, High Tech Special Forces FOXHOUND; led by none other than a man that shared Snake's codename.

The hatch of the SDV opened at last. Even though he was wearing a state of the art suit with thermal protection, Snake felt the cold water chill him to the bone. He exited the SDV, watching his partner do the same with practical moves, and wondered if he also felt the cold with such intensity. Discarding the thought, Snake swam upwards, edging closer and closer to the surface. He was about to enter the nuclear disposal facility. His tactical mind started to work, carefully noting his partner's moves, watching his body balance and the way his muscles worked: everything mattered in these missions, every little detail.

"This is a top secret black op," Colonel Campbell reminded them through the codec "Don't expect any official support."

The two operatives reached the surface at the same time. They swam silently to a small set of stairs that led to the underground dock south of the facility. Solid Snake and Wolverine were now inside Shadow Moses.

Snake removed his fins, keeping the rest of his scuba gear on in case he needed to make a hasty exit; he always kept an escape route should things get too complicated. Wolverine was more direct in his approach: he swiftly removed all his scuba gear, uncovering his face in the process. He had a rough face, and eyes that weren't as cold as Snake's, but more haunted instead. A messy beard gave him a gruff look, the same Snake himself had when he forgot to shave. His dark hair tended to curl upwards, which made him appear almost funny, if it weren't because everything about him spoke of deadly force.

Solid Snake felt almost pleased. True, he liked to work alone, and was well aware that a partner would only slow him down, yet he felt that Wolverine was the best ally he could ask for in this situation. He raised a thumb to his partner to start working.

Wolverine answered by drawing his adamantium claws from his fists.

"Let's do this, bub."


	2. The Two Spies

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters from the Marvel and Metal Gear Solid universes; they belong to Marvel Comics, Stan Lee, Konami Studios and Kojima Productions.

**Author Notes:** Hey there guys! Well, first off let me thank you very much for your support. Four reviews for such a short chapter was more than what I expected. I've been writing the following chapters for some time, so rest assured you'll have updates regularly, probably once every three weeks. I know it's a bit slow, but it gives me time to write properly.

We're still on the early stages of the story, but you'll see how things start to develop in these chapters. Snake and Wolverine are two amazing badasses, who wouldn't want to see them kick ass together? But at first, their partnership will be awkward, to say the least. The fic will switch Point of View between the both of them, to cover for each side of the story. So, without further ado, let's get going.

.

.

**Metal Gear Solid: Marvel Crisis**

**Chapter Two - The Two Spies**

.

Snake and Wolverine crouched in the shadows. The underground dock they were in was located in a large, dark cavern; echoes could be heard with every sound the guards patrolling it made; there were dim lights located near the ceiling, giving the dock a dismal look. The cavern was a depressing place, the entrance to a base built beyond the confines of the world.

However, the echo was something they could be momentarily glad for: both operatives tensed when they heard a commanding voice, not as gruff as Snake's or Wolverine's, but colder instead, dispassionate and determined.

"Stay alert!" the voice was saying "He'll be through here... I know it." Both spies peeked from cover to see the source of the voice; they were surprised to see none other than Liquid Snake, adressing a Genome trooper with curt tones "I'm going to swat down a couple of bothersome flies," the man said, nodding to his subordinate. The Genome soldier saluted, and Liquid left the cavern with a lift that took him to the surface, away from the two agents that were already inside the complex.

Snake activated his codec comm. while Wolverine took a better look to determine the dock's display and detect useful blind spots in the enemy's watch "This is Snake," the commando said lowly "Colonel, can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear," Roy Campbell answered the call "What's the situation, Snake?"

"Looks like the elevator in the back is the only way up," Snake replied curtly.

"Just as I expected," Campbell nodded "You two will have to take the elevator to the surface. But make sure nobody sees you. If you need to, contact me by codec. The frequency is 140.85. Wolverine's frequency is 140.70; Wolverine, Snake's frequency is 141.25. When we need to contact you, the codec will beep. The codec's receiver directly stimulates the small bones of your ears. No one but you will be able to hear it."

"Got it," Snake nodded "Okay, we're ready to go."

Both commandos looked at each other. Both were well used to black ops, and stealth came as second nature to them, and yet, right now they hesitated: they didn't know their partner all too well, and making a mistake now would cause a disaster. Snake felt slightly upset: this was the reason why he preferred to work alone; he liked handling things on his own, not worrying about anyone else but himself. He didn't know if Wolverine was good enough to be trusted.

As if reading Snake's thoughts, Wolverine made a hand gesture for them to split up. Snake nodded, signaling him not to kill any guards. Wolverine nodded in turn, and soon Snake disappeared, heading for the lift on the north end of the cavern.

Logan - for that was Wolverine's real name - quickly set himself to work. He knew Snake would be upset with working side by side with him, for that had been Big Boss' exact reaction back in the seventies, when he and Wolverine had to work together for the first time. He had let Snake take point out of consideration for his mentor (and close relative, Wolverine was sure of that: they smelled almost the same) and because he wanted to see if Solid Snake was up to Big Boss' standards.

Following the path Snake had taken, Wolverine crawled beneath a large water purifier next to the underground river. There were three guards around, all of them well armed and sweeping the place attentively. Snake was nowhere to be seen. Wolverine waited, hiding next to a wall, and sprinted quietly to another blind spot near some boxes when he saw a lapse in the guards' watch. One of the Genome soldiers came closer, walking quietly and minding his surroundings; Wolverine crouched in the shadows and readied his claws. The guard passed by, though, never seeing his enemy and never realizing how close he had come to die. As soon as the man turned his back on him, Wolverine moved to the eastern wall of the cavern, and from there he sprinted north. He spotted Snake on the northern end, watching him with a serious look, hiding behind a forklift. Snake nodded to him and pointed to the elevator on the north wall, which was now returning with loud alarms.

A guard stepped out of the elevator, yawning and stretching loudly. Watching from behind a container, Wolverine felt an urge to scratch him with the claws, just to wake him up; he shook his head, dismissing the thought with a grin. The guard came closer to the forklift, not seeing Snake hide on the other side. Logan watched as the spy crouched low, tensing like a spring, and yet occupying so little space that the guard didn't see him. The Genome trooper turned around, and Snake signaled to Wolverine to follow him with that cold demeanor Logan was starting to get used to. Both men moved like shadows, and they stealthily got inside the elevator without the guards ever noticing it. Soon, they were on their way to the surface.

The elevator was moving up. Snake crouched, removing his scuba gear at last. Off came his mask, his air tank, his goggles. He stood up, and looked up. The game was on... and a part of him loved it.

Snake was wearing a cutting-edge military Sneaking Suit, designed to protect him against the cold and aid him in his mission. It consisted of a gray thermal shirt, gray military issue pants, elbow and knee guards, a pair of dark gloves with metal plates at the back of each fist that were made to allow maximum grip as well as some protection to his hands and a pair of Combat Boots that increased traction and nullified every sound. Last but not least, a dark vest made of Kevlar and an alloy of several materials completed his attire, with reinforced padding on the shoulders and neck. The suit made movement a little difficult, but it protected against the cold, made him silent as a shadow, and gave some protection against knives, blunt weapons and small caliber guns.

Wolverine was wearing a very similar suit customized for him. His Sneaking Suit was the same as Snake's save that he didn't have the Kevlar vest - he didn't need it, he'd said, and no one had been able to deny the point - and his thermal shirt was darker and slightly more reinforced than Snake's. Other than that, he looked just the same as his partner. Watching them together, side by side, it was hard to decide which one looked deadlier: Snake was taller, and thinner, and his eyes were cold as ice, the eyes of a killer, a man born for warfare. Wolverine was quite shorter, but he had a more savage look, like that of an unpredictable animal. They were well fitted to work together, and Roy Campbell and Nick Fury had known it.

"Nicely done, kid," Wolverine nodded to Snake.

"You're too slow," Snake grunted in reply "Keep going like that and you'll have to use those claws of yours soon."

Logan said nothing. He swallowed the urge to give his partner some new holes to breath out of, reminding himself that he'd had just the same feeling when he first met Big Boss.

The elevator reached the surface with a loud clank. But the loud noise was lost in the roar of the blizzard that shook Shadow Moses Island, rocking it with strong winds and snow. Foggy almost all year round, the island was difficult to navigate due to constantly adverse weather and numerous reefs. As with the other Aleutian Islands, the Fox Islands were prone to frequent earthquakes year-round. And right in the middle of that, hidden in a forsaken island located in the middle of a wild, untamed sea, was the secret base Solid Snake and Wolverine would have to infiltrate in order to save the world.

Snake and Wolverine moved as one, stepping out of the lift and taking a look at the base in front of them. They had reached a small heliport, well guarded by the Genome Soldiers. To the south, a menacing cliff took to the cave they had come from and the Bering Sea. To the north was a large building, a two-stories hanger with a large door that allowed heavy machinery and weapons to pass through. All the complex was watched by cameras and searchlights. It seemed the terrorists were taking no chances.

Kneeling behind a large metallic crate, Snake raised a hand to his ear and called his Commanding Officer with the codec.

"It's Snake," he grunted "We're in front of the disposal facility."

"Excellent Snake," Campbell smiled "It seems you two can work together just fine."

"How's that Sneaking Suit working out?" Dr Naomi Hunter cut in. Young and cunning, Naomi Hunter was the medical adviser of the two operatives for this mission. She had been FOXHOUND's chief physician before the unit turned rogue, and her help had been deemed vital for the success of the operation. Her young face - she hadn't reached her thirties yet - didn't hide her intelligence; it was present on every gesture, on the tone of every word pronounced.

"I'm nice and dry, but it's a little hard to move," Snake said, struggling a little inside the suit. His complain was accurate; the Sneaking Suit was cutting edge technology, protecting him from the weather and even from some injuries while allowing him to move in silence, but he had quickly realized that nimbler, more agile moves wouldn't be easy while wearing it. He would have to adapt to that.

"Bear with it," Naomi said gravely "It's designed to prevent hypothermia. This is Alaska, you know."

"Take it easy, I'm grateful," Snake smiled "If it weren't for your suit and your shot, I would've turned into a popsicle out there."

"An anti-freezing peptide, Snake," Naomi chuckled "All of the Genome Soldiers in this excersice are using it."

"I see," Snake hummed "I'm relieved to hear that. Already tested, huh? By the way, Colonel, how's the diversionary operation going?"

"Two F-16s just took off from Galena and are headed your way. The terrorists' radar should have already picked them up."

Peeking around the corner, the two intruders spotted a large helicopter stationed in the heliport, its blades moving with a loud rumble. Two Genome Soldiers stood next to it, talking with a blond man. A closer look by Snake and merely a sniff by Wolverine revealed him to be Liquid Snake himself. Snake took the chance to watch his 'twin' better: they were indeed alike to a frightening degree. The same hard face, the same sharp features, the high cheekbones, the cold lifeless eyes... Liquid even had the long blond hair Snake sported whenever he forgot to cut his hair, and the same brown roots beneath.

Wolverine inspected the chopper closely. It was a Mi-24D, officially designated Hind D by NATO, powerful enough to level a whole enemy base on its own, with its destructive Gatling machine guns and devastating rockets. This one even had air to ground missiles, and Wolverine was well aware that the Hind could carry a platoon of armed soldiers without so much as a hindrance in combat.

"Why's there a Russian gunship here, on American soil?" Wolverine asked through the codec.

"I have no idea..." Campbell said, as baffled as they were "But it looks like our little diversion got their attention. Now's your best chance to slip in unnoticed!"

.

.

.

**Author Notes 2:**I hope you liked this chapter! know this was a bad time to cut it, but I really couldn't find a better moment. I don't want to make chapters too long, nor too short either, so this is what I came up with. So, my dear readers, we start to see what Snake and Wolverine working together are like! Off to an uncomfortable start... but maybe they'll get used to it. I based this chapter on the premise that two men can't work together very well if their lives depend on it and they have never seen each other before. It will take some time for these two to function a little better, hehehe.

Again, I hope you liked this. It's my pleasure to write it, and I hope you can enjoy reading it. If you do, don't forget to leave a review. Remember, we writers thrive on reviews! It's the only way for us to know how good our productions are. I'm open to any criticism, so long as it's polite. So, review, if you're so kind. I'll be saying goodbye for now, and expect an update in the following weeks, since the third and fourth chapters are well on their way to your browser. See you!

As usual, my deepest thanks to **Devil Boss**, who helped to develop ideas and write some of the trickiest parts. Don't forget to check his great stories as well.


	3. Infiltration

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters from the Marvel and Metal Gear Solid universes; they belong to Marvel Comics, Stan Lee, Konami Studios and Kojima Productions.

**Author Notes:** I'm back after a longer pause than what I would have liked. Sorry for the delay guys, but my PC isn't working properly, and midterms are taking a lot of time from me nowadays, which doesn't make for the best situation to write. However, I decided to take my time, scarce as it is, and write this properly instead of rushing just to update every week. I'm quite pleased with this chapter as a result, and I've got the next one in the works as well, so don't think it'll take too long for another chapter to pop up.

This episode has quite a bit of talking, but it was necessary to set up the characters and some other things. However, I still hope you'll find it enjoyable. Thanks for reading!

.

.

**Metal Gear Solid: Marvel Crisis**

**Chapter Three - Infiltration**

.

The Hind D started to rise with an ominous roar of its blades. The Genome soldiers at its sides backpedaled, giving it room; the potent searchlights illuminated the heliport; all the sentries were watching as FOXHOUND's Commander took the chopper up into the stormy night, heedless of the blizzard. The monster took to the sky, and flew off to meets its foes.

Still hiding behind the large container, Snake and Wolverine placed their left hand on their ears to listen in to Roy Campbell's voice "There are only eighteen hours left until their deadline," he warned "You two've got to hurry!"

A young, beautiful and carefree voice with a foreign accent interrupted "Wow... he must be crazy to fly a Hind in the kind of weather!"

Snake frowned, not recognizing the voice "Who's that?" he pressed.

"Oh, sorry, I haven't introduced you three yet," the Colonel said with a grin "This is Mei Ling. She was assigned to us as our visual data processing specialist." She designed your Codec, as well as your Soliton radar system. Contact her if you have questions on either of them."

Suddenly, a small monitor located on the left wrist of Snake and Wolverine's suits lit up, letting them see Campbell's face as well as listening to his voice. The wrist monitor was part of the Soliton system, a state of the art gadget so advanced that even operatives used to cutting edge technology like Snake and Wolverine weren't used to have.

On the monitor appeared a gorgeous young woman, probably just out of her teens. Her face was marked with curved and smooth Asian features, her dark brown eyes were big and round just like her lips, and she had jet black hair "Nice to meet you both, Snake and Wolverine," she said with a charming Chinese accent, highlighted by a lovely smile "It's an honor to speak to such famous warriors as yourselves."

Wolverine merely grunted. Snake stared very intensely, closely watching the girl.

Mei Ling felt herself blush at the less than pleasant welcome "What's wrong?" she asked, a sad look flashing quickly through her face. Wolverine's enhanced senses were good enough to pick up Campbell's muffled chuckles at the other side of the line.

"Nothing," Snake was the one to pick up on her words, suddenly looking much more amicable with a comforting smile in his lips "I just didn't expect a world class designer of military technology to be so... cute."

Wolverine felt himself falter for a second, looking at his partner in undisguised surprise. Where had the gruff, no-nonsense attitude gone to? Where had the 'look-at-me-funny-and-I-kill-you' face gone? Did Solid Snake really choose life-or-death missions to hit on women? Was he so idiotic to think that would get him anywhere?

And, of course, Mei Ling chose that exact moment to grin and giggle like a schoolgirl "You're just flattering me..." she said with a blush and a flirtatious bat of her eyes. Wolverine really hated Solid Snake in that instant.

"No, I'm serious," Snake went on "Well, I know I won't be bored for the next eighteen hours..."

Wolverine stopped listening to his teammate's flirting. He regarded the small wrist monitor with interest. The gizmo was small, probably not two inches broad, but it showed images in very high definition. Right now it was showing Mei Ling's face, and Wolverine could almost feel the heat coming out of the girl's cheeks as she blushed like a teenager with a crush. Wolverine pressed a small button on the bottom right of the gadget, and Mei Ling's face disappeared; now her frequency, Campbell and Snake's appeared on screen, ready for fast dial. Pressing the button again, Wolverine saw that the monitor now showed a map roughly resembling the place where he and Snake were.

"...but first, let me explain about your Soliton Radar System," Mei Ling was saying, and Wolverine's brain tuned her back in "The bright dot in the middle is you, Snake," Mei Ling explained. She seemed to have forgotten about Logan "The red dots are your enemies. The radar updates the image every four seconds, so that you can keep track of their movements."

"Wolverine, Snake, be careful," Naomi cut in "The Genome soldiers have highly developed senses of hearing and vision due to their gene therapy. Make sure you don't let them see you."

"You can't make a good soldier with a bunch of crappy shots," Wolverine grunted, eliciting a nodding hum from Snake and a frown from Naomi.

Colonel Campbell appeared on screen "First, I want you two to infiltrate the disposal site, and look for the DARPA Chief."

"The DARPA Chief was injected with the same GPS transmitting nanomachines as you," Mei Ling intervened "He should appear on your radar as a green dot."

"Get whatever information you can from him about the terrorists," Campbell went on "If he's alive, that is..."

"Your radar isn't affected by the weather," Mei Ling addressed the two operatives "But if you're discovered by an enemy, you won't be able to use it. It gets jammed easily, since it's made from currently existing technology. You won't be able to use it in an area with strong harmonic resonance, so be careful."

"I wasn't planning on using this thing much, anyway," Logan shrugged, again prompting a hum and the ghost of a smile in Snake's face.

"We'll be monitoring your movements by radar," Campbell said" so contact us by Codec anytime you want."

"Got it," Snake said "I'll call if I'm feeling lonely."

"Seriously, Snake," Naomi rebuked, seemingly angry at the constant dismissal the support team got from the two field agents "We're here to back you up, so call if you need some information or advice. Wolverine, the same goes for you, and don't underestimate the Genome soldiers just because of their gene therapy," she added sharply, confirming Snake's suspicions about her anger "They're the best the US has to offer."

"But I'm the best at what I do," Logan replied darkly with a hiss.

"Remember," Campbell said quickly "Except for your binoculars, you two are naked. You need to arm yourselves with whatever weapons you can find."

"I remember," Snake growled, ignoring Wolverine's smirk and nod at his claws "First, I'm strip searched by Dr. Naomi here, then all my weapons are taken away. Imagine yourself put in that position."

"Well," Naomi said in a sultry tone "If you make it back in one piece, maybe I'll let you do a strip search on me."

Now it was Logan's time to ignore his partner's smug look as yet another woman hit on him while on the mission. Logan was no fool when it came to dealing with the ladies - his gruff, aloof attitude worked wonders on them - but Solid Snake seemed to be on another league altogether.

"Hmmm, I'll hold you to that, Doctor," Snake grinned charmingly, with a faraway look on his eyes. Wolverine was sure he was picturing the moment very vividly in his mind "By the way, sorry to disappoint you, but I did manage to smuggle out my smokes."

Naomi's face darkened and she started pestering Snake with questions and reprimands, while Wolverine felt suddenly sad and idiotic at the same time. Snake had smuggled his cigarettes in his stomach, and now had enough to enjoy during this whole fucking missions. Wolverine had been slower, and now... he just couldn't stop thinking about his dear Cohiba Cigars, back at the USS Discovery, completely out of reach...

"But how are cigarettes going to help you?" Mei Ling inquired, with a lovely eyebrow raised in confusion.

Snake gave her a knowing look and a smile, as if he knew something only experience could teach "You never know."

Logan knew exactly what he meant.

"I'll let you decide the best COA (Course of Action)," Colonel Campbell said "I'm counting on you."

The call was cut and Solid Snake and Wolverine were suddenly left to deal with each other. Awkwardness, that feeling of uncomfortability that Snake hated so much invaded them. Turning to look at his partner, the grizzled mercenary decided to make things clear.

"Look bub, neither of us wants to work with the other," Wolverine beat him to the punch, shaking his head "But we're stuck with each other regardless, so we might as well try to get along."

"Working alongside you will only slow me down," Snake grunted, upset "I have no room to make mistakes. If I get shot, I won't regenerate. Besides, if we move together there's a higher chance of the enemy spotting us."

"So you say we split up?" Wolverine raised an eyebrow, receiving a nod in return "Fine bub, that's your call," he shook his head again.

"Alright," Snake nodded, slightly more relieved "We'll stay in touch through the codec."

Turning to look at the base and forgetting about his partner, Snake took a practical glance at the fortress. Quickly mapping out the patterns in the Genome Soldiers' vigilance, he made his way into the complex with swift and silent steps. The heliport was constantly scrutinized by the searchlights placed on the second floor of the hanger farther north, but Snake found a way to slither past without getting spotted by the powerful beams. Moving west, he approached some small unguarded warehouses.

He spared a look back to see what his partner was up to. Wolverine was still behind the crate next to the elevator; however, he suddenly moved east, going around the heliport through the snowy rocks to that side, and Snake lost sight of him.

The storage room next to Snake was open, and there were some boxes which probably contained some items he could find useful. However, as he made his way to them, Snake saw that while there were no sentries the room was not insecure "A surveillance camera..." he muttered as he spotted one astutely placed to watch the whole room without being detected "Better to leave..."

He would have to find weapons and equipment somewhere else. Moving north and ducking out of sight - the blizzard helped him do it, making the enemy soldiers mistake him for a shadow - Snake sought to find a way into the building ahead. But as he did so, he spotted a truck next to the heliport, well guarded by sentries.

It was a M1015 Full-Tracked Cargo Vehicle, Snake recognized, the unarmed variant of the M113 Armored Personnel Carrier. Sturdy and reliable, the model was perfect to move in the snow and harsh weather. Thinking quickly, Snake deduced that this truck was there to transport supplies and maybe weapons to the heliport. Even if he wasn't sure, the opportunity was too good to let it pass. Two sentries walked past him, chatting quietly; Snake crouched low, making himself invisible in the blizzard, and as soon as the two men walked away he ran towards the truck, moving like a fleeting shadow. Snake jumped inside the back of the vehicle and quickly started going through the weapons and items he found inside some boxes.

Wolverine jumped inside the truck a few moments later. Snake pointed his newly acquired SOCOM 45. handgun at him, lowering it a second later when he recognized his partner. Clearly Wolverine had had the same idea than him when he spotted the truck.

"Find any other guns?" Wolverine asked curtly, trying to hide as best as possible in the cramped space.

"Yeah," Snake nodded. He handed Logan a handgun very similar to his own "It's a decent one," he remarked "USP, 45. version."

"Better than the 9mm." Wolverine approved, taking two magazines Snake was giving him. He spotted a small tin can, a grenade of some sorts, but one he didn't recognize.

"What is this?" he asked, eyeing the can closely.

"It's a chaff grenade," Snake grunted "I'm not surprised you don't know them. They're a rare kind of grenade that can interfere with electronics, disabling them for a short while. I'm sure you realize there aren't much of those around, so use it only if you have to."

"Good," Logan nodded, strapping the grenade to his belt and sheathing the USP to his thigh. He saw another handgun and gave it to Snake "You keep this one, bub. I know this gun: it's a customized Beretta M9 designed to shoot tranq. rounds, modeled after the Mk22 Hush Puppy. Hit an enemy soldier with this and it will be good night, sleep tight for him."

"Thanks," Snake said "We should get moving."

"You aren't taking this?" Logan asked, showing Snake a good Combat Knife.

"...No," Snake shook his head after a brief silence "Let's get going," he said, leaping out of the truck and disappearing from sight a moment later.

"...You're not like your old mentor," Wolverine mumbled to himself. He hadn't expected the heir of Big Boss to turn down a CQC Knife. Shaking his head, Logan dialed Campbell's frequency.

"Colonel, we've stocked up on some handguns and items," he reported to the attentive commander "Snake's already on the move now. How are things going on your end?"

"You're not going to believe this, Wolverine" Campbell said shakily "But the terrorists shot down the two F-16's, with a Hind D! And their leader has called us to warn that if we do something like that again, he'll launch the nuke," Wolverine mumbled a curse he had picked up from halfway around the world and Campbell went on "Snake, are you listening?"

"Yeah, I'm here," the mercenary replied. His voice had an odd echo to it, as if he were in a closed space.

"We'll have to change our strategy, and speed things up. Snake, your first objective will be to rescue the DARPA Chief. Find out where he is, and get him out of there. Wolverine, you'll have to rescue the Arms Tech President, Kenneth Baker. Whoever finishes first will be charged with securing Anthony Stark, who is farther away according to our intelligence reports."

"What about the nukes?" Wolverine asked, frowning.

"We'll get to that later," Campbell replied, cutting the call.

Wolverine grunted and leapt out of the truck. Narrowing his eyes in the blizzard, he eyed the main hanger in front of him, to the north. The main gates were closed, and surveillance was tight. He didn't know where Snake was. His sense of smell didn't help him to detect the man, either. Just like when he fought alongside Big Boss. So it was up to him to find an entrance into the complex. Close inspection of the building - while hiding underneath the truck - revealed one entrance he could use; a small vent on the left side of the building, narrow and tight but not so much as to make crawling through impossible. There was a guard right in front of it, and a camera above, but that wasn't something he Logan couldn't handle.

Wolverine crawled away from the truck and hid among some large crates, quietly enough to avoid detection. As he stalked closer to the guard in front of the vent, he realized the man was nearly asleep, yawning and dozing off constantly. Wolverine came close to him, using a blind spot to hide from the camera and waiting for it to turn the other way.

The camera turned to look south and Logan made his move. A quick punch with Adamantium knuckles was more than enough to completely knock out the sentry. Grabbing him, Wolverine supported his weight against a wall, making it look as if he were still sleeping. Once that was done, he crawled inside the vent, just in time before the camera spotted him. The whole action hadn't taken him more than a few seconds.

Crawling through the shaft was troublesome, but he pulled it off. There were only rats to accompany him, nothing out of the ordinary there. But as he made his way closer to the inner end of the shaft, he got a surprise call on his codec.

141.80

"Wolverine, this is MacDonnell Miller," a blond, taut man with sunglasses and a ponytail said with a clear voice "I haven't seen you in a while."

"Kazuhira?" Logan asked, surprised.

"Er... yes," the man replied "Kazuhira... that brings back memories. How long has it been, Wolverine?"

"Thirty years, six months, and twenty three days," Logan replied without effort "Right before I left the MSF's Mother Base. What are you doing here, bub?"

"I got a call from Nick Fury this morning, and I thought I could be useful," Master Miller replied, nodding "I've lived in Alaska for a long time now, and I'm familiar with the flora and fauna. Also, I know Solid Snake and can help you work better with him. My frequency is 141.80. If you need anything, or have any doubts, contact me by codec."

"A helping hand would be damned good right now," Wolverine said "I need to locate the Arms Tech President, Kenneth Baker. Any ideas how I might do that, without having to interrogate every soldier on the base?"

"Hmmm..." Miller took some time to think "How about interfering the frequency the Genome Soldiers are using to communicate in the base? You see, the only way to contact each other in this harsh weather is to use Burst Transmissions in short ranges... it's a bit technical, but you can tap into their frequency if you manage to steal one of their radios."

"And then I can listen to their conversations," Logan grinned with satisfaction "Nice thought, old man."

"You're older than me," Miller pointed out, somewhat hurt.

Logan chuckled "Nice to see you again, Kaz."

"Same here, Wolverine."

Innerly grateful to whoever designed the vents to be big enough for him, Logan soon found himself inside the hanger. There were several sentries here too, as well as two M1A1 Abraham Main Battle Tanks, pride of the US Military and now in possession of the terrorists. The hangar was big, with a large southern entrance that gave way to the heliport Wolverine had recently left, an elevator that led to the lower, underground levels of the building, and a cargo door on the northern wall that took to the Nuclear Storage Facility according to his briefing. A small set of stairs led upwards, to a walkway that connected some storage rooms on the second floor of the building.

Acting fast, Logan sneaked inside the hangar and hid next to a wall that served to shield him from enemy eyes. A sentry walked past him, never spotting the intruder. Wolverine let the Genome Soldier go: it wouldn't do to attack him so close to his comrades. Spotting a gap in the sentries' watch, he climbed the stairs that led to the second floor, nearly getting spotted by a camera astutely placed over the walkway but still managing to remain undetected. The camera turned to oversee the first floor and Wolverine made his way on the walkway, hiding in a blind spot next to a closed door.

'It seems I'll need a Card Key to open this thing...' he thought, inspecting the door 'Something to take care of while I can.'

A guard was coming closer. Logan tensed, drawing the claws quietly. Never forgetting about the camera nearby, he timed his moves right and ambushed the soldier, stabbing him from behind before he managed to make a sound. The man was dead before he hit the ground. Wolverine dragged the body to the blind spot next to the door, which opened automatically.

'So, you had a working Card Key with you,' he mused with a grin as he got inside a small storage room filled with boxes of all kind 'Makes things easier for me. Hope you don't mind me looting some things, bub.' He searched the body, finding the aforementioned Card Key, a small square of plastic with a big number 1; he also found some ammo, and a pack of cigarettes. The FAMAS rifle the soldier was using he didn't take, finding it of little use. But he was glad to see that the dead soldier's radio was in good condition, taking it with satisfaction. He turned it on and started to tinker with it. A call to Mei Ling later, he knew how to tap into the Genome Soldiers' frequency. Now it was a matter of time before he learned what he needed to know.

.

.

.

**Author Notes 2:** And finally, another chapter done! It wasn't easy for me to write, but I hope you found it easy and entertaining to read. Did you like Wolverine and Snake's interaction? Any comments you want to make, be sure to leave a review! I don't want to be a bother, but we writers thrive on reviews. Until next time!


End file.
